Rejection: Does it make you Bitter or Better?

Recently, I received a rejection letter for a health policy position that I had applied for. Deep down, I know how competitive the job market is, but a part of me thought that I've worked so hard to get where I am today, and surely any company would recognize my potential and dedication. So, It stung a little and knocked me on my ass for a brief second; and then I realized that rejection is inevitable & that even my best is NOT always going to be good enough. But that is life. Rejection is how we learn and grow; it’s what makes us get up, brush the dirt off of ourselves, and hit the ground running harder than ever before. 

Some of the most successful people in the world were rejected at one point in their lives...

1: Abraham Lincoln failed in business 3 times and also failed campaigning 7 times prior to becoming a United States President

2: Hilary Clinton was rejected as an applicant to NASA because "girls couldn’t become astronauts"

3: (Colonel) Sanders had his fried chicken recipe rejected 1,009 times before becoming the founder of KFC.

4: Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team when he was a sophomore; he was told he "wasn’t good enough".

5: Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a junior reporter after being told by her producer that she "wasn’t fit for television"

6: Soichiro Honda was turned down by Toyota during a job interview for an engineering position. And yes, I do mean ‘THAT’ Honda.

7: Vera Wang became an editor at Vogue magazine but was later rejected from the editor-in-chief position. She now is one of the most talented fashion designers in the industry, with a $1 billion business. 

8: Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) was rejected by 27 different publishers after writing his first book. Today, his books have sold over 600 million copies. 

9: Babe Ruth was known for his home run record (714 during his baseball career); but did you know that for many decades, he also held the record for the most strikeouts (1,330)? 

10: Walt Disney himself was fired by a news editor who said that he "lacked imagination". He also had first company go bankrupt. I think we all know successful he went on to be later in life. 


Being rejected from something should not cause you to be bitter; but instead, cause you to be better. Take it & post it on your mirror where you can see it every day & remind yourself that rejection happens to people who push the envelope in life, the ones that take risks, and reach for impossible...so never give up.

A quote that I keep close to me as a daily reminder is one from Macklemore... "The greats weren't great because at birth they could paint, the greats were great because they paint a lot".

So, my challenge to you is to let go of your fear of rejection (just as I am currently learning to do). Instead, use it to your advantage, use it as motivation; pick up that brush, stand up that easel, and continue painting...one day, it will all be worth it.